Tigers That Talked - The Merchant

Calling a band ‘the next (insert well-known band here)’ is both a blessing and a curse. The potential that such comparisons point to can often go unfulfilled, and the hype machine can often get it disastrously wrong. We’re of the opinion that new bands have no business being ‘the next’ anyone, and should always seek to succeed on their own merits.

One easy, knock-off comparison that could be made in this review is that Tigers That Talked are the ‘British successor to Arcade Fire’ or something equally as ludicrous. There isn’t a band around quite like Arcade Fire; sure, being the higly influential band that they are, lots of other groups show hints of their sound, but that’s as far as it goes, and the same is true here: TTT have a violinist in their line-up, but that’s where the similarities end.

‘The Merchant’, their long-awaited debut record, finds them sounding like quite a few different bands, but when the sum of the album’s parts is considered, they nearly always end up doing their own thing. The epic qualities that inform tracks such as recent single ‘23 Fears’ and album centrepiece ‘The Earth And The Urn’ (the latter of which is referenced in the record’s introduction) ensure that this record will find favour with stadium rock aficionados.

The group’s folk-rock material is worthy of note, with ‘Artificial Clouds’ and ‘Wrestling With The Wolfcubs’ both boasting melodies that are impossible to shake after only a few listens.

However, it is when they step out of their comfort zone that Tigers That Talked truly excel. The gentle electronic beats that underpin the album’s title track add an entire other dimension to the song, an affecting portrayal of an average life gone horribly wrong. ‘Holy Saturday, Gloomy Sunday’, meanwhile, is three songs in one, moving from an uptempo, handclap-laden pop song into a waltzing lament, and from there into a furiously fast, thunderous finish. It’s quite the breathtaking song, and is without a doubt the highlight of an album that contains not one sub-par effort. These Tigers could be a roaring success with a debut like this.